Chadra: Lebanese and Labs

Chadra Mezza & Grill had me at hello. It happened to be “Pooches on the Patio”(every Wednesday from 4-7 pm) when my husband and I finally tried it out. I’m a sucker for anything canine-related and was therefore completely taken in. Any restaurant that has a special happy hour each week for dogs and their owners gets an “A” in my book. Fortunately for my integrity as a reviewer, the restaurant itself did not at all disappoint, and my bias towards the pups was secondary to the fantastic food and atmosphere. I can safely say that even if there had been nary a pooch in sight, I would be equally enthusiastic about Chadra.

Located near the corner of 8th and Park Place near the hospital district, Chadra embodies the warmth of its revitalized neighborhood. It feels very homey, and though its simple décor does reflect a Middle Eastern theme, the laidback atmosphere is more “Cheers” than exotic. Service was fairly slow, but we soon observed that most of the wait staff were visiting with the patrons, sometimes even sitting down for a chat. Once we grew accustomed to the pace, it was endearing rather than annoying. Towards the end of our dinner, a cheery manager named Megan came to see how we were faring. We easily fell into conversation with her about the history of the restaurant and its owner/chef, Nehme, who arrived from Lebanon nine years ago and worked his way up from washing dishes to launch Chadra, which is named after his home village. Megan has promised to remember us next time we come in, and I have full confidence that she will.

Kafta, Shawarma, and Babaganouj galore, Chadra serves up traditional Lebanese fare at its best. We opted for the Chadra Mezza platter (small portions of ten different appetizers) in order to try out as many different dishes as possible. Nothing was disappointing and several items stood head and shoulders above other Lebanese that I’ve tried in the area. The hummus was incredibly garlic-y and delicious, and the falafel was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Surprisingly, the Foul Moudamas was the favorite dish of the night. Made of fava beans in garlic sauce, it was not much to look at next to its enticing plate-mates, but the taste was out of this world. My husband and I were not-so-subtly fork jockeying for every last bean. For those with less than adventurous palates, Chadra also offers Italian inspired choices on the menu. From pizza to lasagna to eggplant parmigiana, the Italian choices looked fantastic, though I don’t understand how anyone could pass up the wonderful Lebanese.

In short, Chadra is everything a neighborhood restaurant should be, and I highly recommend trying it out. The price is right, the food is delicious, and I think it’s safe to say that at least one person will know your name (and probably your lab's name, too). Lunch - $, Dinner - $$

Ten: 9, 8, 7... maybe 6.5

If expectations are debts, Ten owes me a sleek evening worthy of a James Bond movie. What it paid instead was a better than average college bar. Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but when I think “martini bar,” I think cigars, jazz, smooth, elegant; not alternative rock, stale cigarettes, and boring, effortless décor.

Don’t get me wrong, Ten is better than (and twice as expensive as) any college bar I ever went to, and the drinks are very good. The martini menu has over 50 concoctions ranging from traditional gin and vermouth to “Key Lime Pie” (which tasted like the real thing) and “Wedding Cake.” Our server, Pam, was also great. Pleasant and personable, she was unfazed by our indecisiveness and very gracious in helping us pick our poison.

Ten is tucked in an artsy strip of stores on Foch Street, across from Montgomery Plaza. Given the location, it will likely continue to do great business no matter what. Pam let us know that the name will be changing to "M Lounge" later this summer. My hope is that the management would take advantage of the re-branding and class up the joint a bit. Until then, go in to try out some interesting cocktails, but expect to see your frat buddy, not 007. $

Cheap and Saucy

A great weeknight dinner: Panini with homemade pesto, salad with homemade dressing

My cooking repertoire is severely limited. Though I love to cook and entertain at home, I am rarely graced with inspiration for my own creative dish. Instead, I tend to pour over cookbooks and then spend half of my prep time reading and re-reading recipes to make sure everything is going according to plan. That’s fine for special occasions and those rare days when I have hours in the kitchen to pretend that I’m The Next Food Network Star, but it just doesn’t work for weeknight dinners when time and fatigue are major factors. These evenings usually consist of various takes on chicken, pasta, and green salad – not the most exciting of menus. I’ve found, however, that getting creative with sauces and dressings is a wonderful way to avoid the weeknight doldrums. The problem there, of course, is that many store-bought dressings can be pricey - especially when buying several different kinds to diversify.

The cheap solution? Turn the kitchen into a flavor lab and start experimenting!

Below are a couple of my most successful attempts at the basics, but the point is to use your own pantry as inspiration for work-a-day dinner diversification on the cheap. Please share your success stories!

Pesto

Basic pesto is nothing more than basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan or romano cheese, garlic, and olive oil. With those ingredients, it’s tough to go wrong. Give about a cup of basil leaves a quick rough chop to get them started before putting them into a food processor. Next toss in around a half a cup of pine nuts (toasting them first helps release a lot of their wonderful flavor). Mash up a few cloves of garlic (mashing vs mincing guards against large pieces of unincorporated garlic). Finally throw in around 1/4 cup of grated or shredded cheese. Process or blend while streaming in good olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. The beauty of experimenting is that you can play with quantities and textures according to taste. I happen to prefer rustic pesto, so I don’t tend to process until smooth. I also end up tossing in more (and then a little more, and maybe a little more) cheese.

The last time I checked pine nuts were going for around $17.99 a pound (ouch!). Pretty saucy, but not too cheap. Walnuts (less than half the price) are a very tasty alternative. I’ve also used rosemary instead of basil - a very different texture and flavor, but equally delicious. There are lots of possibilities to liven things up – adding some sun-dried tomato, different fresh herbs of choice, etc. Also consider varied uses for the pesto – tossed in pasta, on panini, over vegetables, etc.


Salad Dressings

A gift basket full of different preserves, jams, and dips was the inspiration for creating my favorite salad dressings. Since my husband and I aren’t big jam and bread people, the little jars of preserves were in danger of sitting unused in our kitchen cabinet for years to come. They came to mind one evening, however, when I needed to jazz up a salad for a small dinner party. I ended up using a raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip (the Target brand Archer Farms has a wonderful equivalent) as the dressing base. I spooned about a tablespoon of the dip into a small plastic container with lid, added about 2 tbs of salad vinegar (or white wine vinegar) and good olive oil, and fresh black pepper to taste. After stirring and shaking until incorporated, I tossed with salad greens, dried cranberries, and walnuts. This concoction has become a staple and dresses almost any kind of salad beautifully. It can also be used to baste meats.

The same basic principle can be applied to any kind of fruit preserves or jams. Add some fresh herbs for extra flavor. It takes about 2 minutes, tastes amazing, and gives lots of options just using the items already on hand.


Hummus

Hummus is one of my all time favorite treats. Healthy and flavorful, it’s the perfect alternative to other pre-dinner options that could derail a diet in no time. The problem is that most store-bought hummus is quite pricey (around $5 for a small container easily finished in one sitting.) Good news – hummus is fun and easy to make!

My basic hummus recipe is this: Pour one can of undrained chickpeas into a food processor. Add around 1 ½ tb of tahini (sesame seed paste) and a couple of cloves of mashed garlic. Process while streaming in good olive oil (up to ½ c). Salt and pepper to taste. Most recipes call for a greater quantity of tahini, but I prefer less of its pungent flavor (it’s also the most expensive ingredient.)

From here, the options are endless. Roast the garlic cloves for a sweeter taste, add paprika for additional color and flavor, use flavored oils (Rosemary oil was wonderful), add various fresh herbs, use red pepper flakes for heat. Hummus is quick and easy and has a long fridge life. I like doing small batches of different flavors to have on hand to serve with pitas and crackers or as an alternative to mayo on sandwiches.

My Sad, Sad Garden and Happy, Happy Cooking

My forays into the world of horticulture have been timid and intermittent at best, but I’m beginning to fear that my thumb is decidedly black. I’m not sure how it happened. My grandmother, nearly 90, can still coax beautiful tropical plants out of her backyard despite the trials that South Georgia weather presents to her. My mother’s garden always seem to be healthy and happy, not to mention effortlessly and invitingly landscaped. Her rosemary bushes reach almost to the eaves of the house, her flowers are cheerful and strong, and her spinach somehow survives regular attacks from bugs and hungry deer to give us delicious and fresh salads. If gardening skills are a matter of genetics, I ended up in the shallow end of the pool.

Though I’m sure to eventually murder whatever plant crosses my path, a couple of months ago I decided to purchase several herbs to place on the balcony of our downtown loft. As it turns out, that has proven to be a wonderful decision. Don’t get me wrong - the poor little plants are, in fact, languishing. They suffer from an aloof caretaker who regularly forgets to water them, an extraordinary amount of wind battering them around, and, of course, the cruel Texas heat.

Despite all of these trials, however, my herbs are tenacious and have provided us with a ready supply of fresh thyme, rosemary, and basil for over two months, however reluctantly. My cooking and my wallet could not be happier. I purchased each plant for about $2 at Wal-mart. I already had a couple of pots for them, and the extra potting soil was around $6. For awhile I used a Solo cup to water them, but eventually broke down and got a plastic watering can for around 99 cents. My total investment was a whopping $15.

I had previously been purchasing fresh herbs from the grocery store and never, ever, ever used the entire bunch before having to throw them out – a painful experience. Now I can just step outside, snip off a little here and there, and encourage the sad little things to keep on keeping on. Sometimes I remember to reward them with some water. I’d say that I broke even after the first month and now I might as well be picking leaves off tiny little money trees. (Ok, I’ve wandered into hyperbole, but I really am excited about this!)

So, if you like to cook with fresh herbs and have a little bit of space on a windowsill or balcony, go grab some $2 plants. It’s a great investment and a confidence boost for the black of thumb.

PS – Central Market does sell small bunches of locally-grown herbs for $1. They are great to supplement if you need larger quantities for certain dishes.

Ferré: Fairly Fine Fare

I have to be careful here, because I want to be fair to Ferré. Let me start by saying that I do believe that it is a good restaurant, and I do really recommend trying it, especially as an après Bass Hall treat. Location and atmosphere are second to none. The SoHo inspired interior is chic and smart, though the décor probably fits Uptown Dallas better than downtown Ft Worth (Ferré’s other location is in trendy West Village). There’s also great patio seating where patrons can admire Bass Hall and observe pedestrians giving their dinner a furtive and jealous glance.

Everything on the Tuscan-style Italian menu looks good. I mean everything. See if this brief list sounds tempting: Chopped Caprese Salad, Tuna Carpaccio with truffle-soy vinaigrette, Bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, Alfredo Orechiette, Margherita pizza, Risotto, Sea Bass, Tonno y Gnochhi (Tuna steak with potato dumplings), Tiramisu, Vanilla Brulee, Sorbet, Gelato… and so on. Ferré also serves delicious Illy coffees and their signature coffee drinks are creative and tempting.

On a recent visit to Ferré my husband and I decided to split the Ravioli (green garlic ravioli with oven dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil) and Olive’s pizza (a white pizza with garlic spread, mushrooms, and olive tapenade). The food was good and certainly a huge step up from the typical American-Italian restaurant with its vats of tomato sauce and ridiculously sized portions. I suppose, though, that the spectacular-looking menu set my expectations too high. Ferré boasts of fresh pasta made in-house, but the Ravioli tasted like it had been frozen and was very over-salted. While the simplicity of the dish seemed so appealing at first, I couldn’t help but think that I could have easily made it at home. The pizza was much better. For an olive and mushroom lover, it induces cravings. Even writing about it makes me want a slice!

Despite a few minor misgivings about the food itself, I could be much more generous with my praise for Ferré if it had not been for the utterly lackluster service. It was truly disappointing. I felt as though our waiter viewed us as unwelcomed intruders upon his otherwise serene and pleasant evening. He brought the food out without a word spoken to us except for an unenthusiastic offering of pepper (which came about fifteen minutes later). It would have been a frustrating experience had we been dining at Olive Garden; at a place like Ferré it was unacceptable.

Again, I want to be fair here. The patrons at the table behind us were having a vastly different experience. We eavesdropped to learn all about the homemade foccacia bread served with olive oil and tomato puree from their friendly and competent waiter (ours had served us the same, but had quickly walked away to let us figure it out on our own). We enjoyed living vicariously through their experience, but were slightly resentful that we had to.

Would my Ravioli have tasted better if our waiter had served it enthusiastically with pepper in hand? I don’t know, but I’m starting to believe that it would. I know for certain that you would be reading a vastly different review had we been sitting one table over. For any restaurant owner who may be reading, never underestimate the influence that your wait staff has on the dining experience, maybe even the taste of the food itself. I’m certainly willing to give Ferré the benefit of the doubt and try again. It has all the elements to be more than fine, but for now I have to leave it with a review of fairly fair. $$ for pasta and pizza, $$$ for most entrees.

Up on the Roof at Reata

One of the greatest pleasures of downtown Ft Worth is Reata Restaurant. It reflects the spirit and vitality of Sundance Square, captures the essence of Southwestern cuisine, and radiates a laidback and welcoming Lone Star State attitude. It’s a fantastically executed dining concept – showy enough for tourists with an over-the-top Texas theme, but dedicated to quality fare that keeps the locals coming back.

A Ft Worth favorite for ten years, Reata first opened on the 35th floor of what is now The Tower in 1998. The devastating tornado of 2000 destroyed the restaurant, but Reata proved as tenacious as its hometown, re-opening after only a couple of months and subsequently moving to its present location on Houston Street in the middle of Sundance. Since its inception, Reata has focused on superb cuts of meat and even boasts its own cattle ranch, ensuring high quality.

The food and atmosphere is a wonderful mix of gourmet steakhouse and home-style cookin’, and it seems like almost everything on the menu has a little kick of jalapeno. This is TEXAS food, ya’ll – bold and big! Steak lovers are in luck at Reata, but there are also game choices like buffalo, wild boar, and quail as well as the standard chicken and pork. Perhaps most impressive are the starters and sides. The perfectly cooked bacon-wrapped shrimp, flavorful smoked quail, tender wild boar ribs, and unbelievably creamy and rich jalapeno cheese grits are my personal favorites. If you don’t mind a crowded plate with gravies and grits running together, the starter platter is fabulous. It’s a fun (and more economical) way to savor the best of Reata, and when paired with a shared salad and drinks, it’s more than enough food for a full dinner.

Reata has definitely found what works and is dedicated to its traditional menu. Its reputation, however, has been built on the laurels of some incredibly talented and inventive chefs (Grady Spears, Brian Olenjack, and Todd Phillips to name a few), and I would like to see Reata continue to place a premium on innovation, not just familiarity and name recognition, lest it be accused of living on the aforementioned laurels. That’s not to say that the current offerings aren’t bold (not every fine dining restaurant has the cajones to put calf fries on its menu). That goes for the wine list as well. While offering some great bottles of steak-loving varietals from California and abroad, Reata only lists one Texan wine (Becker Vineyard’s Viognier – one of my favorites.) Many Texas winemakers have come into their own, and sommeliers need to start giving them a chance on their menus. With its established reputation and celebration of all things Lone Star, Reata could, and should, lead the way by showcasing some local wines.

Reata’s crown jewel is its wonderful Rooftop Bar. Always lively and sometimes overcrowded, this is one of my favorite places to eat and people watch. The views of downtown are spectacular and make me fall in love with Ft Worth over and over again. With over 100 varieties of tequila alone, patrons have no trouble finding their drink from the well-stocked bar or choosing a fun Reata signature. (Beware that you are paying for location, though. The drinks are pricey, but the atmosphere is worth it.) The wait staff on the roof continually impresses me. Attentive, knowledgeable, casual and patient despite the bustle, they add to the fun ambiance and blend into the party. I was especially impressed with Brandon last week – he was absolutely swamped, yet managed to carry on a running joke with us while seamlessly taking our orders without flinching at the splits, questions, and the “this and this, hold this” annoyances.

I hope to see you up on the roof at Reata soon – I’ll be the one stuffing my face with wild boar ribs and harping on to the waiter about Texas wine. $$$ (Note that Reata entrées are served a la carte.)

The Vault: Letting You in on the Secret

It was my full intention to review Reata Restaurant, one of the icons of downtown Ft. Worth dining, in this first entry. I thought that there would be no better way to begin FtWorthFoodie than by paying homage to a downtown institution, but that was before some friends and I discovered The Vault and V Lounge on Saturday night.

Located on the ground floor of The Tower behind Cantina Laredo, The Vault opened very discreetly on Monday, May 26th, and apparently most of the city is still unaware of its existence. When we walked in, the austere atmosphere and soft piano music was highlighted by mostly empty tables, a stark contrast to the bustle of Sundance Square just around the corner. I must say that the serenity was almost unnerving (that coupled with the fact that we were very underdressed almost made us turn back to the more traditional Sundance scene), but curiosity prevailed and we asked the pleasant hostess if we could sit at the bar.

“Vault” is an accurate name for this gem. The elegant simplicity of the main dining room creates an ambiance completely locked away from frenetic downtown - it feels like a secret. The Vault is self-consciously not the average Ft. Worth restaurant, but this doesn’t translate into an aloof staff or unnecessary pretention. Quite the contrary, in fact. We felt warmly welcomed and instantly comfortable, especially when we descended into the cozy V Lounge located under the dining room.

V Lounge echoes the minimalism of the The Vault, but feels significantly warmer with leather chairs and couches abounding. The bar is a long, inviting crescent of dark mahogany, easily seating 20 people. We settled into a couple of comfy couches and were offered complimentary glasses of red or white wine (the liquor license had yet to be approved.)

Now to the menu. What perhaps is most notable regarding The Vault menu is that it is scheduled to change daily. In a way, this makes it hard to review, yet I am confident after perusing the Saturday offerings that patrons will consistently be faced with delightful and difficult choices to make no matter what is listed. Everything is made in-house and the kitchen doesn’t even have a freezer! Locally-sourced ingredients and daily deliveries of seafood will ensure a fresh, high-quality menu each evening. The entree selections for Saturday included Hawaiian Moon Fish, Seared Duck Breast, Moroccan Lamb Loin, Bone-in new York Strip, and Filet.

We opted to order from the tapas selections and then enjoy dessert. The Tenderloin Brochettes with Italian Salsa Verde were absolutely fabulous - perfectly seasoned rare skewers of meat placed on a bed of garlicy green chile sauce. The Harissa Marinated Chicken with Charmoula came in a very close second. The flavors were wonderful and playful combinations of Mediterranean, Indian, and even Southwestern (garlic green chile sits quite comfortably on a Texas palate), but the fare is not over-complicated or showy and the high-quality meat shines through. There’s no intention to hide here – the food is simple, forthright, and confident.

Dessert was very good, though not as spectacularly impressive as the tapas fare. The Chocolate Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce was fudgy and rich and beautifully plated. We’d all have preferred the traditional bread pudding flavor and look forward to seeing that on the menu in the future. The Trio Crème Brulee (Chocolate, Banana, and Vanilla) was delicious as well. The texture was a bit too solid for my taste, but the flavors were excellent. I tend to be a crème brulee purist, so I was very doubtful of the banana, but it was subtle and creamy.

Perhaps the highlight of our evening at V Lounge was meeting Chef Gabriel Ochoa. Quiet and unassuming, Ochoa’s demeanor belies his impressive resume. He can lay claim to experience at The Worthington, Hotel Zaza, and Stephen Pyle’s, and has studied in Barcelona and Vienna. Ochoa’s philosophy of freshness can be summed up in his reply to me upon complimenting the freezer-free kitchen: “Freezers are for pastry chefs.”

The official grand opening is scheduled sometime in late June. It’s sure to be a beautiful and tasteful affair, though selfishly I wish I could delay it and lock The Vault away to have a private escape with friends on Saturday nights. Once the secret is out, Ft. Worth is sure to keep the small dining room and lounge fully booked, so try it out now before things really get going. The food is some of the best I’ve had in the Metroplex and the atmosphere is refreshingly simple yet warm. I am thrilled to kick off FtWorthFoodie with an enthusiastic recommendation for The Vault! $$$